4 Top Mobile App Types for Healthcare Providers

ER wait time app
While some organizations, like WakeMed, choose to include ER wait times in their general information app, many have found success in creating a stand-alone app consisting of only emergency department information.

Detroit Medical Center (DMC) is one such organization with an ER wait time application for iPhone and Android. In addition to displaying all of the medical center's ER wait times it includes a special mapping function to show patients how to get to DMC from any location. The app also includes information about the medical center's 29-minute ER guarantee.

Service-line specific app
As hospitals have been growing more comfortable in the mobile application market, they've been experimenting with service-line specific apps, and women's health is one of the fastest growing areas.

OhioHealth has a popular women's health app that aims to connect patients with their obstetric and gynecological caregivers. The mobile app, available for iPhone and Android, provides expectant mothers with text, images, and videos about all aspects of their pregnancies, from appointment reminders to screening test explanations. OhioHealth also has apps in the works for orthopedics, sports medicine, and other specialties.

Apps offer a new communications channel with patients, enabling them to become more engaged with your organization, learn more about your services, and better control their health. This area is only going to continue to grow, so get developing now.

Charles Falls (3/5/2013 at 6:06 PM)
It is true that app usage is growing, and that healthcare providers need to get on board this train. While these four are valuable (particularly the portal, and women's health), the branded "In Case of Emergency" app we create for hospitals and healthcare providers offers their patients a potentially life-saving feature for smartphones. It puts the user's emergency contact information on the home screen of the phone, ahead of the lock screen, so any paramedic can know who to contact. Then the app itself lists the user's medical conditions, current medications and allergies to medications in order to help healthcare providers offer the best treatment for the user. This inexpensive app is already available in 9 states, with more to come soon. And it requires very little effort on the healthcare providers part to get it up and in the app stores.